Educational device.



PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

H. w. BARR. EDUCATIONAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY s, 190.54

Wm co 42121 I 5W4 Gnome- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed May 9, 1905. Serial No. 259,574.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE W. BARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Educational Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for guiding and instructing beginners and others in the art of writing, the object of the invention being to provide a device which will support the forearm and wrist in the correct position, guide the pen, pencil, or tracing-point to form the desired letter, figure, or character until a correct movement is developed, and permit free movement of the hand or wrist longitudinally and transversely while preventing dragging of the wrist in making the up-anddown strokes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which the part carrying the copy to be followed may be conveniently shifted to bring the character or matter within ready reach, so as to avoid movement of the arm and hand out of correct position during practicing.

With these and other objects in view th invention consists of the features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of an instructing device embodying my invention, showing in dotted lines the manner in which the hand and arm are supported thereon in the art of writing or following a copy. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4: 4: of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents a base plate or support, which may be of any preferred formand construction, but, as shown in the present instance, consists of a comparatively thin plate of metal or other suitable material and of oblong rectangular form. Mounted on the rear portion of the said plate or support is an arm and wrist support comprising a plate 2, provided at its forward end with ears or upward extensions 3, carrying a transverse rod or bar 4, on which a roller or sleeve 5 is revolubly and slidably mounted. This sleeve is arranged in a vertical plane in parallel relation to the front edge of the plate 2, which extends transversely of the base 1 and is provided with a downwardly-projecting portion 6, forming a clamp or locking device to engage and hold the copy-guide plate or disk, hereinafter described, in adjusted position. The rear portion of the body of the plate 2 is secured by a rivet or other suitable fastening device to the base 1 and in rear thereof is provided with a reduced extension 8, carrying a curved arm-rest 9, the said rest being formed by providing the said extension 8 with wings 10, which initially extend laterally thereof and at right angles thereto and are bent upwardly and inwardly with their ends overlapping above the said extension 8 to provide a rest of curved or channeled form to prevent the arm from moving laterally out of position. A rivet or other suitable fastening 11 extends downward through the overlapping ends of the wings 10, extension 8, and base 1 and firmly connects these parts together.

Arranged upon the base in front of the arm and wrist support is a copy-guide comprising a plate or disk 12, which carries the matter to be copied, and through the center of which passes a headed pin or rivet 13, which extends downward through a slot 14 in the base 1. The upper head of this fastening bears upon the upper surface of the plate or disk 12, while the lower head thereof bears upon the under side of the base 1 and bridges across the slot 14, the plate or disk 12 being loosely mounted upon the shank or stem of the fastening, whereby said plate or disk may turn or rotate upon said fastening as an axis and may also be reciprocated or adjusted longitudinally of the base through the movement of the fastening in the slot 14:. The matter to be copied, whether in the form or figures, letters, or complete words or sentences, is disposed upon the upper surface of the plate or disk 12 and may be formed by grooving the said plate or imprinting or otherwise applying the matter thereon. The letters, figures, or characters may be arranged at various points upon the face of the disk and at various positions to its axis, as the pivotal connection of the disk permits the same to be rotated, while the sliding connection of the pivot with the base permits it to be adjusted longitudinally on the base, so as to permit any desired character to be brought within convenient reach of the arm and hand of the operator resting upon the supporting portions 5 and 9.

The arm-supporting plate 2 projects at an upward angle fromits fastening 7 to its clamping edge 6, thus adapting the roller 5 to support the wrist at the proper elevation above the disk 12 and at the same time permitting the edge 6 to engage the adjacent portion of the edge of the disk and hold it clamped in adjusted position. The plate 2 may be made of spring metal, so as to force the edge 6 with spring-pressure against the disk, which pressure supplemented by the pressure of the arm and wrist exerted thereon will firmly clamp the plate or disk 12 against movement.

In the operation of the device the fore portion of the arm rests upon the arm-rest 9, and the wrist upon the roller 5, supported by the bar at, while the hand projects over the plate or disk 12. After the disk has been adjusted to bring the desired letter or character to be traced within convenient position the point end of the pen, pencil, or tracer is pressed in the groove formed in said letter or character and the letter traced until the desired movement can be accomplished with ease, after which a copy-paper is placed upon the disk and the same strokes made thereon without moving the arm from its position. The paper may then be removed and the character again traced on the disk and the paper replaced, and this operation may be alternately performed until the arm and hand are trained to correctly form the different letters, characters, 820., used in writing. By this means any letter, figure, character or symbol and complete words and sentences may be traced by the student or pupil until the hand is trained to make the correct strokes for each letter and character used in the art of writing, while the rests 5 and 9 will support the arm during the exercises in the correct position. The sleeve or tube 5, by being revolubly mounted upon its support 4, permits the arm and wrist to have free longitudinal and transverse movement without changing its writing slowly and then increasing the speed speed and form may be gained whlle the correct principle of writing is bemg mastered.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and modeof operation of the invention will be understood without afurther extended description.

Changes in the form, proportions, andminor details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A device of the character described comprising a support, an arm-rest disposed thereon, a copy-guide rotatable upon the support and reciprocable toward and from the armrest, and means for securing the copy-guid in adjusted position.

2. A device of the character described comprising a support, a rotary copy-guide, and an arm-rest adapted to hold said copy-guide from rotation.

3. A device of the character described comprising a support, a rotatable and reciprocable copy-guide, and an arm-rest adapted to engage and secure the guide from movement.

4. A device of the character described comprising a support having a guide-slot, a copyguide, a fastening slidable in said slot and forming an axis on which said guide is adapted to rotate, an arm-rest, and means for holding the copy-guide in adjusted position.

5. In a device of the character described, an adjustable copy-guide, and an arm-rest having a portion to engage said guide and secure it in adjusted position.

6. In a device of the class described, asupport, a rest fixed at one end and provided at its free end with an engaging device, and an adjustable copy-guide adapted to be engaged and held fixed in adjusted position by said engaging device.

7. In a device of the class described, a rotatable and reciprocable copy-guide, and means for securing the same in adjusted position.

8. In a device of the class described, a rest comprising a body having a folded portion at its rear forming an arm-support and having at its forward end a slidable and rotatable wristsupport.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE IV. BARR.

\Vitnesses:

MABEL S. DREHER, HOMER S. HURsT. 

